OUR APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
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We have tried a number of different systems and whilst no system can meet everyone’s needs we think that this system offers the most flexibility.
Morning surgery
- Starts at 9:00am
- 2 Doctors offer a Surgery until 12:00pm
- 1 Doctor offers a Surgery until 10:30am, then completes the Home Visits.
Evening Surgery
- Occurs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Starts at 3.30 pm for one GP and the ends at 5.30 pm
- Starts at 4.00 pm for one GP and ends at 6.00 pm
Appointments
- Each appointment lasts 10 minutes but if you feel it necessary you can book a 20 minute double appointment.
- A proportion of the appointments can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance; the rest can only be booked on the day.
- We have found that offering appointments beyond 4 weeks increases the number of people who book an appointment but then fail to keep it.
- We have increased the number of pre-bookable appointments.
- The Receptionist may ask you the reason for your appointment. This is to allow the Doctor to triage the appointments, if necessary
How to make the best of the system
- The demand is very high first thing in the morning but we have two Receptionists who will answer your calls as quickly as possible.
- Unfortunately the more efficiently we answer your calls the quicker the appointments get booked up.
- If you want to see a particular GP try and book in advance.
- If you can’t see the GP consider whether the nurse can help you.
- If you can’t get an appointment - consider whether a phone call will help.
- If you don’t need an appointment don’t ring at 8.00 am – this may sound obvious but that’s when the phones are busiest.
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- To speak to a GP ring at 8:45am.
- If you don’t get to speak to the GP leave a number with a brief message and they will ring you back before the end of the day. There is no need to keep ringing.
For test results- ring later, e.g. after 10:30am when all the results that have arrived that day will have been seen.